WITH the Welsh winter closing in fast, spare a thought for two surveyors from Cardiff who are midway through a three-month secondment in Bermuda.

Helen Jones and Nick Corrigan work in the Cardiff office of Lambert Smith Hampton in Longcross Court, Newport Road, where Helen deals with office agency and Nick is an agent dealing in the Swansea and Cardiff markets.

Nick and Helen now form part of a larger multi-disciplinary team of surveyors seconded to the Bermuda government to handle its insurance claim on some 850 properties ranging from office blocks to prisons.

These properties were damaged by Hurricane Fabian, which in September this year hit the British colony.

The team includes three surveyors from Lambert Smith Hampton and three from Faithful and Gould, the latter including another Welsh surveyor, Tina Hatton Evans.

Helen reports that for the first three weeks they were heavily involved in carrying out initial inspections of the storm damage.

However, Helen is now based in the Estates Department of the Bermuda government while Nick is continuing the work documenting condition surveys.

Helen reports that Cardiff is now a distant memory and they are surrounded by aqua-marine waters, pink sands and palm trees during the typical working day. The Bermuda attitude is said to be laid-back, friendly and welcoming and their employers are dressed in traditional Bermuda business attire - shirt, Bermuda shorts and knee-length socks! Despite 80 degree heat, tropical rain-storms lead to regular soakings and are a reminder of home.

The chance to go on secondment at the drop of the hat is one of the benefits of working for a larger firm and it is thanks to Lee Mogridge, director in charge of LSH's Cardiff operation, that Nick and Helen were able to take this opportunity.

They have also met up with Richard Harris, formerly of Brinsons in Caerphilly who has been working out in Bermuda for six months.

Helen and Nick are due to return on Christmas Eve.

Helen reports, "Bermuda is an expensive place and at #4 a pint we have cut back on phone calls home. So I take this opportunity to say 'hi mom, see you at Christmas' ."

Nick added, "As we reach the end of our time here, we are now left with the task of persuading Lee Mogridge of the merits of opening a Lambert Smith Hampton office in Bermuda!"